Of God And The Devil
by LEP-Surface Division
Summary: "We can be both of God and the devil since we're trying to raise the dead against the stream of time." -Vermouth A story about a deadly poison that was supposed to give life, the organization that created it, and a little boy who's not. M for zombies.
1. Lockdown

**A/N: Here's the first chapter!**

**So, read it and let me know what you guys think! Critiques are just as awesome as praise, so don't be afraid to break out the big bad red editing pen. If I'm doing something wrong, I wanna know it. :P Particularly on anything regarding characters feeling OOC, spelling/grammar/punctuation, honorifics, or a plain old "_This line _was just awful" or "It would have been so much better if _this_ had happened instead of _that_." I'm not just talking about anything that's necessarily _wrong, _either. Let me know if you see _anything_ that you think could be improved.**

**Inspired by a combination of my own original zombie story I wrote years ago, the new anime _Highschool Of The Dead,_ and Vermouth's line from episode 334: _"We can be both of God and the devil since we're trying to raise the dead against the stream of time."_**

**Also, I'm thinking that I might change the name, but I'm not sure what I might change it to. If you have any ideas, let me know!**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

**Edit: 04/08/14**

**I'm going to be writing more for this story after quite a long time on hiatus. There have been certain things that have happened in DC since this story was first published, such as the appearances of Sera and Amuro, that I'll be trying to work into the plot. (And Haibara somewhat getting over her fear of Okiya.) However when this story was first conceived, none of that had happened yet. As such I'll be doing my best to work these points into the story later, but I've decided not to edit anything that already exists. Just thought you should know.**

* * *

**"We can be both of God and the devil since we're trying to raise the dead against the stream of time." **  
**-Vermouth**

* * *

_**Mouri Detective Agency  
July 6'th  
6:35 A.M.  
**_

Conan, barely able to hold his head up and still dressed in his pajamas, clambered about in the bathroom, performing his usual morning rituals with half hooded eyes, essentially running on autopilot. It was on days like this that he spent a lot of time thinking about one of the smallest inconveniences of his current shrunken state. And that, was coffee.

Coffee, the detectives best friend, the overworked officers go-to solution for hard nights and harder mornings. But _children_, as Ran had reminded him time and time again, weren't allowed so much as a sip of the dark brew.

The final sectors of his brain beginning to whir to life, he had only to change out of his pajamas before making his way to the kitchen, where he found Ran standing in front of the stove and the tv on in the living room, a news anchor reporting on some situation in the Middle-East though he wasn't sure where. His attention was stolen by the taunting aroma emanating from the coffee machine on the counter, a fresh steaming pot sitting in wait.

"Good morning," Ran called over her shoulder, stirring something he couldn't see.

"Morning," he mumbled back, climbing up into his seat at the table. He turned his attention once more to the report playing out in the living room. After trying for a few moments to listen in, and not being able to make out what was said, his curiosity finally got the better of him and he hopped down from his chair to turn it up. He knew it'd probably take him longer to look for the remote than it would just to press the button on the side of the tv despite what most people seemed to think, so he went up to the side and counted up four buttons from the bottom. Two for the channel up and down buttons, one for the volume down button, and then one more for the volume up button.

"There are twenty confirmed dead and thirteen more reported missing in just the last two hours," the golden toned reporter spoke as Conan took a step back so he could see the screen. "In total, that's over one hundred dead from Uzbekistan alone. There are also reports that fatalities have occurred in Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as well, though the numbers are not yet in." Here, the anchor shuffled through a small stack of papers on his desk before tapping the bottoms of the pages lightly to straighten them out.

"We now go live to Katsuya Mazaki, where-" the anchor trailed off, looking off to the side in a very unprofessional manner . A moment later he faced forward again, his brows falling and creeping together in a look that could only be confusion. "But first we'll take a quick brake. We'll be back with the live report from Uzbekistan after these messages."

_Well that was... Odd, _Conan thought, though he didn't pay it much mind. It could be a technical problem, trying to connect with their team, or it could be as simple as the team's cameraman having walked off to use the restroom.

"Breakfast is ready!" Ran called, effectively putting an end to that train of thought.

"H-hai," he called, giving the power button a push as he went running into the kitchen, trying to give off an energetic vibe when he could hardly keep his feet from dragging. But as he sat down, he found the story playing through his mind again. _There were so many dead, _he thought, downcast as a plate was set before him, a cup of juice following it shortly. "Thanks!" he piped, plastering on a big grin, Ran returning a gentle smile as she went about preparing a plate for her father who had yet to even get out of bed. He pushed the more negative thoughts aside with little effort. He'd become pretty good at that, after all these years. But still, after seeing so much violence, so many criminals driven to do the unthinkable, so much bloodshed, he still couldn't wrap his head around the _why_. It just...

"Conan-kun," Ran asked as she sat a plate down at her father's spot, once again derailing his train of thought as he looked up, meeting her gaze. "Could you go wake up tou-san for me, please?"

"Ok!" he chirped, hopping up from his place and running around the corner, where the faked enthusiasm drained away to be replaced by apprehension. He shrugged, soldiering on as he raised a hand to rub the top of his head where, very shortly, Kogoro's fist would be leaving a soar bump on his head. Again.

* * *

_**Teitan Elementary  
July 6'th  
1:10 P.M.**_

"Seven times ten is seventy! Seven times eleven is seventy-seven! Seven times twelve is eighty-four!"

Conan mumbled along with the mantra, fist under his chin holding his head up.

"Eight times five is forty! Eight times six is forty-eight!"

Kobayashi was paying most of her attention to the back right of the classroom, where some boys were smiling awful wide to be doing times tables. So Conan, in the front left corner of the classroom, had little to worry about in the way of being called out for his lack of enthusiasm.

"Eight times eight is sixty-four!"

"Kudo-kun." At least, he had little worry that _Kobayashi_ would call him out. Haibara, on the other hand...

"Eight times twelve is ninety-six!"

"What?" he whispered without looking in her direction, letting some of his boredom into his words.

"Nine times two is eighteen!"

When she was silent, he turned toward her only to be greeted by a dark "don't-you-_what_-me" look. He sighed, the mantra of the students carrying on without them. "Yes?"

Not seeming to find this answer much more appeasing, Haibara was quiet for another few moments. Just when he thought she wasn't going to say anything at all, he heard her whisper "If you keep acting like that, you're going to attract unwanted attention."

"Ten times three is thirty!"

"But we've already learned this," he protested. "_Twice._"

"Ten times five is fifty!"

"The great detective of the East is being thwarted by revisions?" she continued in a humorless monotone.

"Ten times six is sixty!"

"It's not like it isn't getting to you," he grumbled.

"Ten times eight is eighty!"

"I would have figured you'd be having a harder time than me, actually," he continued. "With all of your 'advanced classes' and everything."

"Ten times eleven is one hundred and ten!"

"Then I suppose your perceptive abilities aren't as good as you would have the world believe," Haibara countered.

"Eleven times-"

There was a loud _pop _followed by bursts of intermittent static, the telltale signs of the old P.A. system kicking on, and the children fell instantly silent.

"Attention, all students and faculty!" the principal's voice boomed a moment later, voice a level, cool calm.

Every pair of eyes in the room rose up to gaze at the speaker, a handful of students letting out a quiet groan. The only thing that ever got a school-wide announcement like that was a drill, and regardless of what they were practicing for, it more or less came down to two scenarios: Having to stand around outside in the unbearable heat, or sitting absolutely still and quiet in the corner of the classroom. Neither of which were they particularly eager to do.

The only exceptions to this were Kobayashi, who knew all too well that there wasn't a drill scheduled for today, and Conan and Haibara, who both thought it a little too close to summer vacation to be practicing their drills. The mystery didn't last for long.

"An intruder has been spotted on school property!" the principal's voice once again rang throughout the classroom. "I repeat! An intruder has been spotted on school property! Begin lockdown procedures immediately! This is not a drill!"

The students hopped out of their chairs, a frightened few more quickly than the rest, then began to gather in the blind corner of the room directly to the left of the door. Conan waited for a few of the kids to gather up before taking the nearest position to the door, one fingertip hovering over his tranquilizer's trigger. If there was one thing he'd learned in his life, it was that it was better to be safe than sorry. Especially when dealing with the unknown.

"E-everyone," Kobayashi stuttered, getting up to lock the door. "Just stay in your corner. Everything's going to be fine." She had to wonder who she was trying to reassure then; The students, or herself. _Maybe a little of both, _she decided. _There's nothing wrong with being a little afraid, after all_.

Haibara sidled in next to Conan, whispering a warning as she sat down. "I wouldn't use that."

He turned, the word "what" already forming on his lips, when Ayumi sat down between the two of them. She didn't say a word, but she did cling to his arm the instant she'd hit the ground. She turned, a surprising mixture of fear and determination in her eyes when she stared at him, and it was then that he remembered staying quiet _had _always been one of the biggest rules during a lockdown drill.

A moment later Mitsuhiko claimed the empty space on the other side of Haibara, Genta taking the spot in front of Ayumi, sparring only a moment to send a mild glare at Ayumi's grip on Conan's arm.

And so they sat in still silence, the only sound being Kobayashi's shoes as she headed towards their corner after having just closed all of the blinds and made sure all of the windows were locked, then sat down in the middle of the students, struggling with a brave face that was starting to fray around the edges.

A quiet murmuring rose from some of the students the farthest back in the corner, though they were silenced quickly by Kobayashi's gentle touch on the shoulder as she lifted a finger to her lips. That was when Conan first heard it.

He had to strain to listen to it, and at first he thought it was probably just his paranoia getting the better of him. But then he heard it a second time, and a third, and on the fourth it was unmistakable. Footsteps. They were slow, and twice as quiet, but _definitely_ there. He held a finger over the crosshairs release, before Haibara's warning came back to him. What had she meant?

There was another footstep, and he could tell that they were definitely drawing closer. He flipped the crosshairs up, taking aim at the door, when everything seemed to click. _"If you keep acting like that, you're going to attract unwanted attention," _Haibara's earlier warning came back to him, and he snapped the crosshairs back down. _If they just suddenly fell unconscious, it'll certainly raise some suspicions, _he realized. _But, if there's something that causes it_...

There was another step, this one practically right outside their door, and he wasn't the only one to notice it. He felt Ayumi's breath catch as she squeezed his arm tighter, Genta turned to Mitsuhiko, who nodded in return, and several of the kids gathered around Kobayashi closed their eyes and buried their faces into her.

_THUNK!_

The classroom door shook violently on it's hinges, one of the little girls in the back letting out a terrified squeal. Conan scowled, starting to work his arm out of Ayumi's grasp. The door wouldn't be able to take many more hits like that.

_CRACK!_

Another blow seemed to shake the floor as the door visibly bowed inwards, the sound of splintering wood filling the air, and any rules about silence had been forgotten. Kobayashi stayed frozen, more like a statue than a person, watching numbly as the door was once again dealt a devastating blow, the window in the door shattering, sending a storm of broken glass all the way across the room where it struck the windows, making a sound like tiny hail stones as they struck.

_This can't be happening, _she told herself, oblivious to the chorus of shrieks around her. _Nothing like this could ever happen here. So this must be a dream. _The thought wasn't strong at first, but with every moment her conviction grew. _Shira... Shiratori-Keiji would be here, if this were real. So.. So it can't be_.

"Ayumi-chan, let go!" Conan shouted, any hope that their intruder might think they weren't inside already thoroughly thrashed to pieces.

_Bang!_

The door flew off it's hinges and skid halfway across the classroom floor, taking a fair amount of the splintered remains of the door frame with it. Ayumi brought her hands to her mouth to hold in a scream, and finding himself suddenly freed Conan shot up, hand on his shoe's dial, soccer ball already half inflated before he'd gotten both feet planted firmly on the ground. Fortunately the intruder seemed to have been caught off guard when the door gave way, and didn't notice what Conan was doing.

"Hyaaah!" With all the strength he could muster, Conan sent the ball flying, scoring a perfect hit on his intended target. The figure - definitely a man, wearing a brown suit and tie - crumpled to the ground, unmoving. The balls momentum carried it on, imbedding it into the drywall where it became the epicenter of a mass of spiderweb cracks.

It was as the ball deflated and fell to the floor that he felt a hand grab his shoulder. It was small, and soft, but gripping him too tightly to be Ayumi. "Haibara?" he whispered. He felt her move to stand behind him, almost like she was trying to hide, her fingernails digging into his shoulder painfully. "Haibara?" he whispered again, a little more worried. "Haibara? What is it?" The only times that she'd ever acted like this was when one of _them _was around. And the very thought that an Organization member could be in their school... That thought alone was enough to get his own heart racing.

"Ai...Chan?" Ayumi asked tentatively. "Are you ok?"

"We need to leave," Haibara replied coldly. "We need to leave now."

Conan turned to face her, her nails leaving long scratches on his shoulder, though the adrenaline coursing through his veins dulled the pain. "Haibara, what are-"

"We don't have time to discuss this," she continued in barely a whisper, her eyes taking on a frenzied gleam, never leaving the fallen man.

"Haibara!" Conan shouted, grabbing her shoulders and turning her bodily toward him. "What are you talking about?"

"Look at him!" she yelled back, knocking his hands aside.

With an even mix of apprehension and confusion, Conan did as he was told. He walked up to the man's side, allowing his critical eye to search for whatever it was that had Haibara so alarmed. The man's cheeks were red, and while at first Conan thought it could just be from where the ball had struck him, he went to check the other side. He touched the man's head so that he could turn it to the other side, only to pull his hands back an instant later. The man had a rampant fever, and while he was no doctor he'd say that the man should've definitely been in a hospital. _But Haibara couldn't have possibly noticed that,_ he thought. _And even if she had, that still wouldn't explain anything_.

He moved down from the head, only to stop as he spotted something else. _Is that... Blood? _He knelt down by the man's stomach, and just as he was about to reach down he felt a firm hand on his shoulder again.

"Don't touch it," Haibara warned.

However, Conan barely took notice of her, instead searching for the source. His eyes raked up and down the man's back, only to settle on a spot on his upper inner thigh.

The man's leg looked like it'd had a chunk the size of a grapefruit ripped off, shreds of his pants soaked with blood laying limp against the gaping wound. Worse, the wound looked old. It was scabbed over, and some sections of it looked like scar tissue had begun to form. He had to guess that the fall had caused the injury to open up again. But a wound like that, going untreated... It should've definitely been fatal, and that's not even considering the risk of infection, nor the sheer debilitating _pain _that a wound like that would cause that would keep him from being able to walk.

Conan had always prided himself on his ability to reason a situation out, but this... He couldn't understand _any_ of this. And the only piece of the puzzle he had, was standing right behind him. And even that was a mystery in and of itself. "Haibara," he whispered. "Do you know what happened to him?"

He felt her hand leave his shoulder, though she didn't move from behind him. "I'll explain once we get out of here. This place isn't safe."

"Safe?" he echoed. "What-"

"I said," she uttered more emphatically, "that I'd explain later. Now lets go, before more of them show up."

"We can't just leave these kids here by themselves though!"

The two of them spun around, coming face to face with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta by her side. "I mean," she continued, looking a little more sheepish. "If you think more people might be coming, and we can't stay here anymore, then we need to tell everyone else. Right?"

Some of the frantic energy glowing behind Haibara's eyes seemed to fade, and with a heavy sigh she turned to face the rest of the students, most staring at their little congregation around the unconscious man. Kobayashi looked like she might be going into shock.

"Of course," Haibara said.

"Ahhh!"

They all turned sharply towards the door, the screech echoing in the narrow hallways.

"That sounded really close," Mitsuhiko said under his breath.

"I trust you, Haibara," Conan whispered, an urgent edge to his voice. He held her gaze for a moment, making sure she didn't change her mind, then turned to the rest of the students. "We're leaving now!" he shouted. "And all of you need to come with us! The door's broken, so more bad people can get in! And this one," he said, a jerk of his thumb indicating the man behind him, "won't stay unconscious forever!"

"But, Kobayashi-sensei..." a little boy in the back started.

A chorus of screams tore through the air, sounding like they were right outside in the hall. This time they were younger. Students.

"I know what she said," Conan continued, trying to keep his voice level. "But think about it. If the door's broken, what's going to keep someone else out?"

A solid thump grabbed his attention, and he looked over to where Haibara had opened one of the windows. "Come on!" she called. "If we don't leave now, we won't be able to at all!"

Conan could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance, but if the screams in the hall were anything to go by, they wouldn't make it in time. Some of the students were getting up, sending troubled glances back at Kobayashi, who wasn't doing a thing to stop them but wasn't getting up either.

"Come on!" she yelled again.

Conan ran up to Kobayashi, pulling on her sleeve, putting on the most childish act he felt he could pull off. "Sensei?" he asked cutely. "It's time to go outside. Won't you come with us?" He pulled more incessantly, and even though she didn't say a word she did stand back up, glazed eyes blinking as she took in the room as if he'd just woken her from a strange dream. "What are you all doing, we've got to stay in our corner," she mumbled, only just loud enough for Conan and the students nearest her to hear. "He got in, Sensei," he continued as if he were talking to a spooked animal. "We need to get out now. Do you think you can get through that window?"

She just stared at him for a couple of seconds before her gaze went up to the window. "Yeah, I think I could," she said softly. "But why would I want to?"

"Because you're following us!" Conan said in a matter-o-fact manner. "Hurry up or you'll get left behind!" He turned to the kids all around him, knowing that at the very least, they would probably follow him. "It's safer outside than it is in here," he continued on, allowing some of the childish tones to fade to be replaced by a more authoritative demeanor. Out of time and desperately hoping his ploy would work, Conan lead the uncertain students toward the window, where Haibara and Mitsuhiko had already climbed through, Ayumi only waiting for him and Genta only waiting for Ayumi.

As if she were moving in slow motion, Kobayashi stood and began to make her way toward them. After a couple of steps, she seemed to notice the splintered door and the unconscious man for the first time. That image gave her the kick she needed, letting out a yelp as she fell back to reality. But as her shout echoed in the hallway, the meandering footsteps outside froze, only to resume a moment later. Headed straight for their classroom.


	2. Separate Ways

**A/N: Just gonna throw this out there, to clear anything up: While I tried to write my other stories as a more 'serious' type of fic, this one is just supposed to be a bit of fun. (Odd, since this will probably be the most mature story I write. XD) I have a plot _outline, _though no real planning as far as anything chapter-by-chapter or event-by-event goes. So, if you have any suggestions, whether for a one-liner to throw in or an entire chapter, either leave it in a review or PM it to me. (I want to add a disclaimer like "nothing too ridiculous please!" but... Conan and zombies? I think I've crossed that line a long time ago. XD) **

**As always, if you see anything you think could be improved, drop it into a review. ^_^**

**Speaking of which...  
**

**- - - - Reviews - - - - **

**Chelseaj500: Sorry, seems I didn't reply to your review last chapter. ^_^ Well, hopefully those questions have been answered with this update, and thanks for reviewing!**

**Miyanoai: XD Well, I only know of one other zombie Conan fic, so I'm assuming you're talking about the oneshot movie 14 fic, where the virus is real and zombifies people? :P If not, please let me know! I'd love to read it! XD  
And yes, they are indeed zombies. And your guess is actually very close! ...But telling wouldn't be any fun. ;P**

**Haruna Pan: Well I would say enjoy, but if this winds up killing you... Hmmm... Oh well, at least you won't _stay_ dead long, eh?**

**Tsugumi Winters: rofl XD Yes, that's what I meant. Excellent catch, and taken care of. Thanks for pointing it out!  
**

* * *

**_Teitan Elementary_**  
**_July 6'th_**  
**_1:18 P.M._**

All Conan really saw flying out of the doorway was a blur. Simple streaks of color, not much else. What he _heard_, however, was far more substantial. A cry. Bloodcurdling, chilling, _mad_ in every sense of the word. No one and no thing that could make a sound like that could have retained any amount of sanity. This observation was made in the briefest of moments, from the time the steps had ceased at the doorway and the blur had launched itself across the classroom, to the moment of impact where it slammed into Kobayashi.

Several of the fleeing students had stopped, shouts of "Sensei!" on their lips as they watched her hit the ground. The blur, which was now definable as a woman in ripped and bloodied jeans, so much blood saturating her red shirt that the stains were still visible, drove the air from Kobayashi's lungs as she landed on top of her.

The woman let out a feral growl, rearing her hand back, her unfocused eyes zeroing in on the general location of Kobayashi's face. Kobayashi screamed as soon as she'd realized what exactly was happening, flinging her arms up defensively between her face and the madwoman's hand. And she stayed like that, for several moments, eyes squinched closed, waiting for the blow to strike. Waiting, until she felt the weight of the woman shift. The weight kept slipping further and further to the side, until finally the madwoman's weight disappeared entirely as she fell over sideways, falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Conan, standing behind Kobayashi by the window's side, snapped the crosshairs on his watch back to their rightful place. "Don't stop," he instructed the stunned students, albeit at a lower volume than he might have used under different circumstances. He didn't have the time to think the implications over fully right then, but he did know one thing; Kobayashi had screamed, and that crazy woman had come charging into the classroom. And he knew without hesitation that if he hadn't stopped her, she would have killed Kobayashi without a second thought.

And so while the children continued to make their escape, Kobayashi was scrambling backwards, trying to put as much distance between herself and the woman who'd jumped her as quickly as humanly possible. "Edogawa-kun!" Haibara called. "We can't stay here any longer!"

"I noticed!" he hissed back. And she was definitely right. He could still hear more intruders out in the hall, hear the screams of faculty echoing in the halls, and he had to wonder how many screams weren't being carried all the way to their classroom. _Just how many people have gotten into the school?_ he had to wonder, then quickly shook the thoughts from his head. There would be time to think about that later.

The rest of the children were making quick work of climbing out the window, the kids still inside sending quick, frightened glances around the room as if they expected someone to jump out of the very walls before their turn to mount the sill and drop onto the grass arrived. Conan couldn't really blame them.

As one more pair of sneakers slipped past the wooden frame, the only four left inside were Conan, Kobayashi, Ayumi and Genta. "Go on you two," Conan urged. "We're right behind you."

"D-do you promise?" Ayumi pouted, fighting back a fearful quiver to the best of her ability. "You always r-run off on your own wh-whenever something bad happens."

"I promise," he said softly, giving her a reassuring smile. With an uncertain look over her shoulder, Ayumi reluctantly slipped out the window, Genta squeezing through soon after. "Go on Sensei," Conan urged then. But with a shake of her head, she gave a stern "You're my student, so you're my responsibility. You have to go first."

Conan was still for a moment, deciding that it'd probably be faster to simply comply than to try and talk her into going first. Giving a short nod, he climbed out the window and dropped down to the soft earth. He'd barely taken a step away before her head appeared, then an arm, her desperation to escape evident even though she tried to hide it. And while she had more trouble than any of the considerably smaller children in slipping out the narrow opening, she was eventually able to push herself free, falling to her hands and knees.

With everyone now safely out of the room, Conan took up his usual spot next to Haibara, far enough away from everyone else so that no one could eavesdrop on their private conversation. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" he hissed.

"Once we get them all somewhere safe," she replied solemnly.

"Why can't we just send them home?" he asked.

She stared at him as if he were the stupidest person on the planet. "Tell me, Kudo-kun, just how do you expect them to make it home once the streets are overflowing with those monsters?"

It was only once a few moments of silence passed that she realized her words had had some kind of profound effect on him. "Kudo-kun?" she whispered.

"What do you mean, _once the streets are overflowing_?" he asked, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"It spreads," she spoke with a detached, clinical tone. "The infection. Mostly through bodily fluids. But like I said, there's no time to explain everything here. There could be a small army of them within the hour. If we don't leave now, we won't have a chance. Not with a group this large."

Conan stayed as still as a statue and just as unreadable, whether because he was thinking or stunned she couldn't be sure. When he did finally show the slightest sign of life, it was to plunge his hand into the depths of his pocket, resurfacing a moment later with Shinichi's cellphone held firmly in its grasp. Haibara already knew who he was calling before he'd punched in Ran's speed dial.

He turned his back to the other students so they wouldn't notice him holding his bowtie up to his mouth, waiting with baited breath as it began to ring. Once. Twice. _Come on Ran,_ he pleaded. Three times. _Pick up._

"You've reached Mouri Ran!" her voice cheered through the speaker, his stomach feeling as if it'd just gone skydiving without him. "Leave a message and I'll call you right back!" A high pitch tone played over the line, and he took a moment to regain his composure.

"Ran, call me as soon as you get this," he ordered, trying to inject as much urgency into those few words as he possibly could. Sliding his phone back into his pocket with a weary sigh, he did the only thing he could think to do.

"I've got to go," he said bluntly, sparring a glance back at Haibara.

"You can't go out on your own," she stated like it was a simple fact.

"Teitan High is only a short walk from here," he supplied. "I'll be fine." As he began to walk away, partially so that his parting words wouldn't be confused as a discussion on the matter and partially because he didn't know how much time he had remaining, he turned to look over his shoulder, calling "We can meet up at my place in an hour!"

"The Agency isn't nearly large en-" Haibara started, only to be interrupted before she could finish.

"I wasn't talking about the Agency!"

Haibara stood confused for a moment, realization slowly creeping in like an icy tendril. _Surely, he doesn't mean..._ she thought, the image of a fair haired man in glasses coming to mind as Conan disappeared around the corner of the school._ The Kudo mansion?_

"I knew it!"

Haibara, jerked out of her thoughts, spun around to find an uncharacteristically angry Ayumi stomping up towards her, arms crossed over her chest, a confused Genta and worried Mitsuhiko trailing behind her.

"Ayumi!" Genta called, trying to get her to slow down in vain.

"I can't believe he left," Ayumi muttered angrily as she came to stop next to Haibara, and as she stopped the anger faded away, leaving behind only hurt. "He promised he wouldn't leave again," Ayumi continued, turning to look up at Haibara, eyes glossy with unshed tears. "I... I... I'm really scared, Ai-chan."

"It's-" Haibara began, faltering with her words. It was a lie, and she knew it, but... "It's alright, Ayumi-chan." And in a rare display, Haibara awkwardly wrapped her arms around the young girl, trying to give what little comfort she knew how. "I'm scared too."

* * *

**_En Route To Teitan High_  
_July 6'th_  
_1:24 P.M._  
**

Conan hadn't been prepared for what he was about to find. Upon exiting the school grounds, he'd run down the street as fast as his feet would take him. There hadn't been any cars on the road, and there weren't any pedestrians walking about, though with the time it was and the location they were in, these facts weren't too surprising. There weren't many businesses in the area to generate much foot traffic, and everyone would have probably already had their lunch and returned by now.

But, once he'd made a couple of blocks and was making his way into more commercialized territory, the signs that something was going on were mounting. Cars had been abandoned on the side of the road, the owners nowhere in site. Some had come close to running into something. Some had done more than come close. But he couldn't see any people anywhere.

The sound of a siren he'd heard back at school had been steadily growing louder, though he had to assume that was because he was getting closer to it, and not the other way around. It left a foul taste in his mouth, wondering what was going on. Surely the police wouldn't leave a siren blaring like that. There had to be a reason. His frown only deepened as the image of that woman who'd come barreling into the classroom and tackled Kobayashi kept drifting through his mind, followed every time by the same thought. _What would have happened if I hadn't stopped her?_

He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings as they passed him by, not that there was much to pay attention to. Everything was still, silent. Eerily so. Almost as if everyone had just dropped what they were doing and ran for the hills. As he turned yet another corner to find yet another dead street, he had to wonder just how accurate that thought was.

But it was then that something caught his attention. A flash of color, out of the corner of his eye. Something blue. With a renewed determination, he took of towards the flash at a sprint, rounding the corner to find a squad car pulled over on the side of the road. The driver's side door had been left open, and the engine was still idling. The lights on top blinked between red and blue, cycling back and forth, and for a moment he wondered if the siren could have been coming from that car.

But no, with a quick listen, the sirens still sounded a ways off. However, his attention didn't stay on the car for long. As laying spread eagle in front of it in a pool of fresh blood was, who he presumed to be, the driver.

The man was bleeding heavily from a wound on his shoulder; Already, it looked like gallons of blood had been poured onto the street. Instantly his detective's skills kicked into action, and he rushed over to the scene. If the officer wasn't dead yet, he would be within minutes. But there was still the possibility that _maybe _he could do something. That _maybe _he could help. And when it came to a life, a _maybe _was more than enough.

He dropped to one knee by the officer's head, trying to asses if this wound had been caused by another psychotic murderer like the ones that had broken into his school, or if something else had happened. In any other situation it would've been plainly obvious, even without Haibara's warning, but what he couldn't understand was _how _a person could ever take a chunk clean out of someone like that... It was just impossible. It couldn't have been human. But then, what had it been? Had there really been two_ different _incidents on the same day?

"Can you hear me?" he asked, not really expecting a response, lowering a hand to the officer's neck to check for a pulse. But before he'd even touched the man, bloodshot eyes suddenly shot open and the officer sucked in a ragged breath. _There's no way, _Conan thought. But nonetheless, the man appeared to be fine. A little incoherent, and his eyes were rolling around, possibly going into shock. But, if the EMT's arrived soon, he looked like he should be ok.

The man's hand twitched, and Conan had his cellphone out a moment later. He was fairly certain _somebody _would have already known about this, but he wasn't going to assume something like that. "I'm calling you an ambulance," Conan said, clear and calm. "If you can tell me what you're name is, and if you're allergic to any- HEY!" Conan fought to shake the man's iron grasp off of his arm as he began to sit up, and it was in that moment that Conan realized something peculiar. The blood on the ground and on the officer's uniform was definitely fresh, and it had definitely come from the wound on his shoulder. But the wound looked like it was days, even weeks old. It was well on its way to healing, yet it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes old.

The officer's attention rapidly focused in on Conan alone, letting out a bassy rumble from deep within his chest that sounded more like a sound a bear would make than a human. Conan gave a wince, the grip on his arm growing ever tighter, bones feeling like they might shatter at any moment. _I need something to kick, _his mind spat out in a frenzy. Then, _Better idea._

Without another moments hesitation, he reached down, pressing the button on his belt with his free hand just as the officer hoisted him into the air. Conan kept the button held, and soon the ball was as large as the distance between the two. And as it continued to grow, it forced them further and further apart. But, there was one problem he hadn't accounted for.

"Let go!" he hissed the words like a curse, the pain in his shoulder nearly unbearable. Not only was that... _thing _holding him up in the air, but now as the ball pushed them apart and the officers grip just wouldn't relent, it felt like it was pulling his arm out of his socket. With a sound like ripping fabric, the pain started to fade. It took him the briefest of moments to figure out why, as the soccer ball began to deflated. The officer had somehow punctured it.

He went to once again inflate a ball, but as soon as he'd pushed the button in, a serious problem became apparent. The belt hummed, something he'd never heard it do before, and no new ball sprang forth from the tiny aperture. Mind racing through the facts available, he zeroed in on the only one of them that could have resulted in some sort of failure: He hadn't deployed the ball. It'd popped while still being inflated, and frankly, he had no idea what that could've done to the belts inner workings. Apparently, something bad.

The rumble emanating from the officer's chest rose in pitch, becoming an almost mourning groan, and without further warning opened it's horrific maw, white teeth all easily visible. Close enough to count. Conan hissed a curse between his teeth, delivering a firm kick to the officer's middle, but he didn't even seem to notice. There was no more time, he was within the officer's range if he were to simply lean forward. With his free hand, he dialed the power up on his shoes, looking into the unfocused eyes of his captor.

Then kicked the officer's wounded shoulder.

Conan felt himself falling for a fleeting moment before landing flat on his back, the impact driving the breath from his lungs all in one painful huff. The officer had been knocked onto his back from the force, but he was beginning to make his way back up. The thought that there was no way that blow hadn't broken the officer's collar bone passed briefly through the back of Conan's mind, vanishing as soon as it had made itself known to be overruled by a thought that might actually be useful. _Run_.

Tentative to turn his back, he took several small retreating steps, keeping his gaze trained on the officer, before turning and taking off at a sprint. He risked periodic glances over his shoulder, but the officer didn't seem to be giving chase. If anything, once he'd gotten back to his feet, he'd begun to stumble off in the other direction. And while Conan's heart was still racing, his very life having been in jeopardy mere seconds ago, he couldn't help but to watch and see what he was doing. Surprisingly, once the man had ventured under the shadow of the convenience store, he just stood their, not moving a muscle.

_Haibara, _he reminded himself. _When I get back, Haibara can tell me everything. Until then, I've got to stay focused_.

He turned on his heel, taking off once more. Teitan High was only another three blocks away, he was too close to even think about stopping now.


	3. Hapless Rescue

**A/N: Sooo, I'm back, after my little two year hiatus.  
**

**Why? Well, that's a bit of a long story. Suffice it to say that I wouldn't be writing this right now if not for the coincidence of finding someone on another site that happened to have read this story before, getting back into Conan after waiting for the plot to advance, and getting a review on this 2 year old story, all within two weeks of each other. Coincidence? Sure. But it certainly did serve as a motivator.**

**This chapter is a little lighter on the action than the previous, though I hope you'll still find it entertaining in it's own right.**

**Well you probably don't care about all that anyway, so moving on: In addition to my normal/mandatory plea for reviews, corrections, etc, I haven't written anything in two years so I'm probably a little rusty, and this was my first time writing from the POV of a certain someone so he maaaay seem a little OOC. If so, let me know what you think sounds odd, and I'll take a stab at improving it. Believe me, I'm a big boy now, I can take it. In fact, getting a pointer pretty much makes my day, because it means I'm able to improve.  
(Heh, seems even after two years I still wind up writing the same foreword. At least I'm consistent.)**

**- - - - Reviews - - - -**

**Chelseaj500 - Not gonna lie, that description is probably my favorite part of this whole story.  
**

**gundamzbd36 - Find out, on this exciting episode of "Of God and the Devil"!**

**CannibaLilly - I feel like I wrote that in reference to some particular scene in a DC episode, but... Well, that was two years ago. I honestly can't say.**

**xEllieChan - Still waiting for the fabled second season of HOTD. I guess zombie stories are fated to go on indefinite hiatus, huh?**

**Aquos35 - And I'm not even throwing DC canon out the window either. Though I'm afraid that's all the details you're getting for now. ;P**

* * *

_**Kudo Residence  
July 6'th**__**  
**_1:20 P.M.

Subaru Okiya had become something of a bookworm as of late. He couldn't shake the thought that he had other things he should be doing, but suddenly finding himself living in a mansion with its own library - a library stocked with everything from medical textbooks to children's fairytales to the many works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at that - it was inevitable that he'd spend the majority of his downtime with his nose in a book. Especially since, with his current situation, he couldn't exactly go anywhere he wanted or when he might've liked.

This was due somewhat to his current pastime, keeping tabs on his new neighbors. However, the majority of the reason was due to the fact that the identity he was currently using was not his own, and if a certain group were to stumble across this information it wouldn't end with just his own life being taken. And now, with one of their dogs crawling around in broad daylight, Akai Shuuichi had to be more careful than ever.

Perhaps that was why he'd found himself becoming a bit jumpy lately. He could hardly be blamed for a tad bit of paranoia, after all. He lived alone in that massive house, so any slight crack or groan as the house settled put him on high alert. But even if he had been your average Joe going about his business, when he heard a strange, strangled cry from outside, he still would've checked it out.

Brushing aside the curtain while trying not to make himself too noticeable, he saw a strange man in a light brown suit meandering around, only a short distance away from the front gate. Akai stood there still as a statue, trying not to make his presence known, though it soon became apparent that there was no need to hide. The man seemed drunk, drugged even, and shuffled around in seemingly random directions. His tie was pulled loose and his jacket slipping off one shoulder, so he had likely been involved in a fight. Then the man simply stood still, arms hanging limp by his side and as he stared at his feet, only to resume drowsily dragging himself around after a few moments when something would seem to catch his interest.

The sight was made more bizarre when Akai noticed a woman on the other side of the road, in her late teens or early twenties and dressed entirely in pajamas, exhibiting the same strange symptoms. He was trying and failing to make sense of the scene, and there was a moment where he had to consider the possibility that this was some sort of trap. He frowned as he carried on that train of thought, knowing that if they already knew where he was they would've simply come in after him. _But if this isn't a trap... Then what the hell is going on?_

Akai reached for the gun he kept with him at all times, feeling a sense of comfort from the cold steel as he backed away. If it wasn't a trap, then it would seem that the best course of action would be to simply go down there and try to talk to them. If they were as far gone as they seemed a call to the authorities might be in order, but that was likely as far as things would go. However, there was something nagging at him that he couldn't ignore. One person acting this way would've been odd enough, but for two to show up?

It wasn't likely to be alcohol-related, not only because he'd never seen a person behave like that, no matter how drunk. It wasn't impossible, but certainly unlikely. Drugs then? But they were acting pretty suspiciously. Surely they would've been caught before, and he couldn't think of any popular drug that could've caused this sort of reaction. Besides, this was a fairly nice neighborhood. He had a hard time believe that there would be two different people taking the same substance, living so close to each other, that managed to get their hands on the same bad batch, and used it at the same time. Again, it wasn't an impossibility, but it certainly seemed unlikely.

In the end, he decided it didn't matter what the case was. There were far worse alternatives that he could've spotted snooping around outside his house, so as long as this guy wasn't planning on putting a bullet in him he didn't much care. But all the same, there was still that lingering feeling that something was... Off. The reason felt like it was right on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't place it.

Reaching the front door he realized that his shoulders were tensed, and he had to stifle a small, self-depreciating laugh. _What am I doing, getting myself all worked up?_ He took a deep breath, inhaling, holding, and exhaling, then returned his focus to the matter at hand. _Maybe I've been reading too much lately._ He casually drew the door open and took a few steps outside on the concrete path leading to the gate, but he still couldn't shake the suspicious feeling gnawing at his stomach. Both the man in the suit and the woman in pajamas had stopped what they were doing the moment they'd noticed him, gently rocking back and forth, their eyes fixed on him in a neutral stare that caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. He attempted to calm his nerves to no avail, approaching the man near the gate with a friendly smile. All the while hiding behind the glare of his glasses, scanning his surroundings, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck and under his mask.

If he hadn't been, he almost certainly wouldn't have seen the woman in time as she shot towards him like a rocket. It only took her a moment to vault over the gate and launch herself at him. He only had a fraction of a second to brace himself for the impact as she plowed into him, her snapping teeth coming far too close to his collarbone for comfort as her arms and legs locked around him. Akai struggled to keep her teeth away from him, but that was all he could seem to do while she grunted and howled and writhed, refusing to let him out of her grasp. She possessed a monstrous strength that her frame didn't betray, and despite the fact that he should've been able to easily overpower her he was struggling with the task of simply holding her back. It wasn't until she let go with one hand to scratch furiously at his face that he was able to seize the opportunity and throw her to the ground.

Her head hit the concrete hard but it didn't even seem to phase her. She was back up moments later, a drop of blood sliding down the side of her face. What was worse, it seemed that their struggle had piqued the interest of the man by the gate, who was now throwing himself against the iron bars. His movements were slow, almost like he was underwater, but he hit like a ton of bricks. The sound of the gate rattling echoed through the barren street like an arrhythmic drum, and the woman launched herself at Akai again.

Not one to be taken in by the same trick twice, he countered her easily and flung her back against the gate. She staggered but didn't fall, and for a moment she just stood there with a vacant expression, staring at him. With a low, almost feline growl, she turned her attention to the man behind her and decided to turn her aggression towards him.

Without any warning she'd jumped to the top of the gate just as easily as she had the first time and dropped down right on top of the man, pinning him face down on the ground. Without wasting a moment she took a bite clean out of the back of his neck, his spine visible, and the man let rip a terrifying roar. It was a bite anyone could've recognized as a fatal wound. She seemed to gag on the mass of meat, if only for a moment. The next moment it was gone, swallowed whole. The woman wasn't satisfied with just this. She spread the torn flesh with her hands, sinking her teeth into the man again and again as she worked towards his torso, each time taking out a sizable chunk and swallowing it whole. And yet the man still moved, an enraged growl ripping through his throat every time teeth sheered through flesh.

Akai took several retreating steps from the surreal sight before him, unable to tear his eyes away from it. It wasn't that he was frightened by the brutality, or even intimidated by it. The cause of the cold sweat dripping down his forehead was a much different feeling than that. He felt like something about this was familiar, like... Like he'd heard of something similar to this before.

He went for the grip of his pistol, as if he was making sure it was still there, just as realization dawned on his face. "Akemi..." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. He retrieved his phone, everything clicking into place piece by piece as he waited anxiously for the ringing to cease, only to receive a recorded message for his efforts. He scowled, dialing the number for the police, and then an ambulance, and then the police station of a neighboring prefecture, and after all four times finding the line was busy he slid the useless piece of plastic back into his pocket. _They must have already gotten to the phones._

With a new goal in mind he ran back inside, slowing only to close and lock the door behind him, and collected his jacket and two clips of pistol ammunition. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. Clips resting reassuringly in his jacket pocket he went straight back out, once again locking the door and testing it for good measure. He was disturbed, if not surprised, to find that all that remained of the two from earlier was a small trail of blood leading to a door a few houses down.

He jumped in his car, keys impatiently seeking out the ignition, and with a twist the engine roared to life.

_I haven't forgotten our promise, Akemi. I won't fail you again._

* * *

_**Teitan Elementary**__****__**  
**_July 6'th  
**_1:22 P.M._  
**

A few moments passed, Haibara growing steadily more uncomfortable with every passing second. She slipped from the girl's embrace, finding Mitsuhiko and Genta staying a couple of paces back, Mitsuhiko taking a great interest in a particular cloud overhead while Genta seemed to be trying to identify the type of grass under his feet.

"All right, let's go," Haibara spoke in a more confident tone than she truly felt.

"Wait, where are you going?" a young boy near Kobayashi asked. His voice shook, if only slightly. He was brave for his age, but still terrified. "Aren't we supposed to stay here when something like this happens?"

She sent him an indiferent look, but her tone was firm. "The school grounds aren't safe. However, if you wish to stay, I can't force you to leave." She turned her back to them, casually strolling away. "But for those of you who don't wish to be left alone when those two inside wake up and their friends come to join them, I suggest we start moving."

"Uh, Haibara-san," Mitsuhiko started off tentatively, trotting up to her. "Where are we going?" Genta asked for him as he and Ayumi caught up.

"We're going to be staying in the house across from the Hakase's," she answered as they came up alongside her. "It's large enough for all of us, and the gate should keep them out so long as we don't attract their attention." She dropped her volume, her face clouding with an emotion that the three children couldn't decipher. "It's also where Edogawa-kun is meeting up with us."

"Where did he go anyway?" Genta asked with an edge of agitation.

But before any answer could be given, a sound Haibara hadn't expected to hear grew slowly louder as its source drew ever closer to them. The sound of an engine, no, several, was nearly upon them in moments. As she stared in disbelief, a caravan of at least seven black SUVs barreled toward the school, stopping in front of the entrance. Her breath caught in her throat, vertigo assailing her senses.

"It... Couldn't be," Haibara said, voice trembling nearly as much as her hands. The door on the vehicle second from the front swung open, time seeming to slow down. She wanted to run, but she knew she'd never make it. Maybe if she were by herself, but certainly not with an entire class of terrified elementary schoolers. A head of long, dark hair appeared over the top of the door and she took an involuntary step back.

"Hey, isn't that-" Ayumi was the first to notice.

"Ah!" Mitsuhiki shouted as he threw a hand in the air and waved at the new arrival.

Ran nearly fell in her haste as she scrambled out of the SUV, Sonoko calling out for her to stop as a group of at least a dozen guards spilled out from the other vehicles. Haibara could only stand and stare in numb amazement as Ran sprinted towards them, even as the guards sporting the Suzuki Corporation insignia were racing to secure the area around the caravan. Sonoko herself was quick to follow, though she was only just out of the car by the time Ran had come to a stop in front of the familiar group of children. A group that, she noticed after hardly an instant, was missing one very important member.

"Where's Conan-kun?" Ran asked, trying not to acknowledge what she already knew to be the obvious truth. She looked from one child to the next, before finally settling on the strawberry blond.

"He's already left," Haibara answered flatly. She couldn't meet the girl's gaze, and after a moment's debate over whether or not to say anything more, "He went to look for you."


	4. Gentle Blanket

**A/N: So here's the longest chapter to date. It's actually close to being twice the length of one of my average chapters on this story so far. No, seriously. There wasn't any good stopping point, so I had to just keep writing, and it became a monster of a chapter. I'm sure you'll understand once you read it. (Not that I think you'll be complaining about it being extra long. Or, at least I hope not. ^_^' )  
**

**I'll take the time to remind all you guys that I rated this story M for a reason. I won't spoil anything, but you know, zombies. Use your imagination.**

**This is also the first chapter in this story that isn't broken into two different segments. It was long enough, and I didn't want to delay getting this out any longer than I already had, so I didn't think it necessary to stick to my own pseudo-convention.**

**And, if you're so inclined, why not take a moment after you're done reading to let me know how I can make this story better? SPG fixes, plot suggestions, whatever you want to throw at me. I always love to hear from you guys!**

**On that note...**

**- - - - Reviews - - - -**

**gundamzbd36: I could tell you, but I think it'd be more entertaining to read it for yourself.  
**

**Aquos35: I'll just take it that the LogOut part simply meant that you didn't want to bother logging in. In which case, welcome back to the story! And I'm probably more surprised than you are. :P I hope I can keep you coming back. Enjoy chapter 4!  
**

**Junko Enoshima: No way, you've been here since the beginning too! Gah, I feel kind of proud for some reason. I don't know why. Thanks for coming back, and I hope the wait was worthwhile.  
**

* * *

**_Near Teitan High  
July 6'th_**  
**_1:28 P.M.  
_**

His close call earlier had made Conan much more cautious about approaching anyone on the street, not that it had really mattered. That cop had been the only living person he'd encountered. Well, he'd seen several shapes and shadows moving around inside shops and businesses, but none of them seemed to have escaped whatever the - what word had Haibara used, infection? - that was rapidly stealing the sanity of those that came into contact with it. And while he couldn't figure out what the difference between them and the attackers that'd broken into his school or the cop he'd stumbled across earlier could possibly be, the ones inside simply didn't seem to care about him. He could see them inside whenever he'd pass a window or an opened door, see their heads turn and their eyes follow him, yet their interest would always quickly wane and their gazes would simply wonder away. It was baffling.

Still, no matter how strange it might've been he wasn't about to complain about it. Even if it did bug him that he couldn't figure out the reason, there's no way he could've made it twenty seconds if he was being chased, let alone make it all the way to Teitan High. Ran was his priority, he had all the time in the world to puzzle out the intricacies of their behavior after he'd made sure she was safe.

Sweat had a few stray strands of his unruly hair stuck to his forehead, forcing him to move his glasses aside to sweep them away. The Summer heat was starting to take its toll on him, but it wasn't even nearly as bad as the running. In top form, back in his highschool body when he'd played or practiced soccer nearly every day, running a few miles at top speed would've been nothing for him. But in the body of an elementary schooler, it was forcing his endurance to the limit. He wouldn't be able to keep this pace up forever. He just had to force himself on, force his legs to carry him farther and faster, and hope that it'd be enough to take him as far as he needed to go.

His attention drifted to Haibara and the children, and for a moment he had to wonder if he wasn't acting a little too rash. Ran could be in trouble, but she could take care of herself in a fight. Well, a normal fight at least. The kids? The closest thing to protection they had was Kobayashi-sensei, and that's assuming that she hadn't gone completely unresponsive. A self-depreciating smile marred his face. He was thinking of the kids as defenseless, but here he was in the same shape and all alone. _Maybe I should have a little more faith in them,_ he chided himself. But if he was going to put his faith in them, he needed to put a little faith in Ran too. Yet somehow, that was much more difficult. He couldn't keep the terrible possibilities from flashing before his eyes. He had a vivid imagination to begin with, and all of the crime scenes he'd been to in his life were coming back to haunt him.

_I have to find her._ His thoughts took on an almost pleading, desperate tone. Then he tried to shove such thoughts away altogether. They weren't going to do him any good, they could only hurt him.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been running, but when he looked up he could finally see his finish line; The black iron bars that made up gate of Teitan High. Just knowing that he'd made it caused a wave of relief to crash over him, draining his strength to the point that he nearly had to stop right then and there to take a rest. It was only by sheer willpower that he kept his body from giving in to that desire, knowing that if he so much as slowed down here he wouldn't be able to keep going. He could rest once he'd found Ran.

Crossing the final stretch to the iron gate, he noticed something unsettling.

There was a pool of blood on the ground, there was blood splashed onto the iron bars, yet there was no sign of a victim anywhere in sight. A thousand different scenarios flashed before his eyes, Ran somehow always winding up the victim. He clicked his tongue in self derision and violently shook his head as if to physically shake the thoughts out of his skull before sprinting through the gates with a renewed burst of stamina. Every second counted, he couldn't allow himself to forget that.

But in his hurry he'd failed to notice something blatantly obvious until the faint smell managed to sneak up on him. The scent of smoke drifted lazily through the air, and when he looked up he could see a thin trails of smoke flowing out of several of the second story windows. There was no alarm, no fleeing students, no firetruck or firefighters at the scene.

"Ran..." Her name dropped from his lips as his mind descended into a panic. _Ran could be in there right now! What if she's passed out from the smoke?! What if it's already too-_

Once again his mind instantly turned to the worst possible scenario, a bad habit he'd never noticed before. Maybe it was the stress, or maybe it was only when his thoughts concerned Ran, but either way it was something he was going to have to get a grip on. Thinking things through logically, the fire couldn't be very large with that small amount of smoke, and Ran would never have remained in a burning building. He was almost certain of that. But an almost wasn't enough.

With a quick glance at the front entrance, he found the doors knocked off their hinges, laying in the front hall. Even if she hadn't noticed the fire or decided to remain regardless, she wouldn't have stayed in a school crawling with killers.

Unless... Maybe she'd decided to barricade herself in her classroom? Or maybe she wanted to stay and protect her classmates, and they were too afraid to leave? They _were_ on the second floor, it wouldn't be unreasonable to be afraid of having to run through the school and past all of those psychos to get out. Unless they'd all left through a window, in which case-

He had to stop himself again. Right now speculating was a waste of time. He strongly believed that she wouldn't have stayed in a burning school filled with those well past the point of insanity, so there were really only three likely scenarios.

One, she'd escaped and run off somewhere, in which case his going to the school would've been pointless and he would have almost zero chance at finding her. That wasn't exactly a great option, but at least it'd mean that she'd made it out safely.

Two, she'd escaped from the main building and ran to the nearest structure that could've been easily locked and barricaded, that being the dojo located in the gym. He wasn't sure if he preferred this option or not. This would mean that he could see her immediately, however it would also mean that she was likely barricaded inside with the rest of the terrified students and wouldn't be coming out any time soon. But she'd be safe inside, and really that was all that he cared about.

The third option wasn't worth thinking about.

If it was the first scenario then there was nothing he could do other than run around blindly, and that wasn't the wisest of ideas. Taking that into consideration along with the fact that he had not so much as a shred of evidence to help him make his decision, he simply assumed the scenario where he could actually do something and made his way around to the back of the school.

The gym was its own structure, only an old concrete path connecting it to the back of the main building, so there was very little chance of the fire spreading. Outside was... Quiet. There were the usual sounds of the wind in the trees and the birds in the sky, but the sounds of humanity were completely absent. No cars, no one speaking, not even the far off clapping of footsteps somewhere off in the distance. No, actually, there may have been something. He thought he could make out a faint hum, like a halogen light bulb or a very distant motor, but he couldn't be certain that it wasn't just his imagination. Either way it wasn't important.

Arriving at the front entrance to the dojo on the left side of the gym, it was immediately apparent that he hadn't been the first one here. It was chained up, every nearby window boarded up. He certainly wasn't getting in there, but that was for the best. If he could get in, then so could those that would do them harm. He felt hope for the first time since he'd set out on this pseudo-rescue mission, hope that she'd be there, hope that he'd nearly reached her, and hope that she really would be ok once he got to see her.

A grin stretching his face as he gave the door a try just to make sure it was properly fastened and wasn't going to let him in, and he figured that he'd try going in through the gymnasium on the other side.

Again, he could tell that someone had beaten him to the punch. The handle was busted, the red paint streaks and the large semi-circular dents in the metal around the handle indicating that their tool of choice had likely been a fire extinguisher. Oh well, it saved him the trouble of having to break in himself. He approached it cautiously, imagining just who or what could be waiting for him inside, the muffled moans and restless movement he could hear giving him a pretty good idea, though he wished that there'd be as few as possible so he could simply run past them without incident. He could only hope for the best and prepare himself for the worst. With a gentle touch the door drifted open, revealing the nightmare behind it. There was no preparing for this.

Corpses. So many corpses. Mangled and dismembered like nothing he'd ever seen. And... Were some of them still moving? People who _should_ be dead, who simply couldn't have survived their injuries, were crawling around on what remained of their limbs, leaving trails of thickening black blood behind them like some sort of human-slug hybrid from hell.

He took an instinctive step backwards, tripped, and fell to the ground, all the while unable to take his eyes off the sight before him. He couldn't look away. No matter how much he wanted to run and never look back, there were simply too many female uniforms among the bodies to ignore. They all belonged to someone, someone who hadn't made it, and that someone could be Ran every bit as easily as not. He had to check them. All of them.

He forced himself to stand, his legs shaking beneath him like a rattlesnakes tail. He took one step into the gym, slow but confident. The crazed occupants didn't really seem to care. He took another, then another. One of the more alert bodies laying at his feet turned a disinterested eye up toward him, but didn't really give any reaction beyond that. His one intact arm still clung to a beaten up fire extinguisher. He'd probably fled with it from the burning school and broken into the gymnasium with it, sealing his fate as well as the fates of everyone taking refuge inside. He could only imagine the terror and anger they must have felt inside, as they watched their only defense be thwarted by a desperate high schooler outside. If he'd only run this tragedy may have been avoided. But at the same time, he wasn't exactly at fault either. He'd panicked, lost his rationality, and done something stupid. It could happen to anyone.

He let out a heavy sigh as he tore his eyes away from the pitiful remnants of what used to have been a highschool student. He could only carry on, step by step, deeper into the den of carnage, all the while gauging the reactions of the victims-turned-assailants to make sure they weren't making any sudden moves.

He could hear the moans and grunts of dozens more of them coming from the doorway at the opposite end of the gymnasium. The door led to a hallway that stretched from the dojo on the left and ended at the pool to the right, the storage room and the gymnasium laying in the middle. The fact that the majority of the sounds were coming from the direction of the dojo caused his heartbeat to quicken. Had he been wrong? He desperately hoped not. While thinking of Ran being anywhere but right there just a few moments ago would've made him anxious, he knew that she couldn't have gone unscathed if she'd remained here. Either way, he had to know.

He kept his gaze moving, jumping from figure to figure as he slowly advanced, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention to himself as he examined their faces. One or two of the former students and teachers would turn a lethargic eye towards him every so often, but they felt like eyes that saw nothing. Blank, glassy, emotionless eyes. Once again he was struck by how completely different they were from the last madmen he'd seen. Maybe, just maybe these people could still be saved. If Haibara knew what was going on, there was a chance - however small it might be - that she could create an antidote. He couldn't say he was entirely impressed with her track record thus far, but it certainly wasn't an impossibility. There _was_ hope.

Every single one of the figures in the room stiffened at exactly the same moment. It was almost as if they were focusing intently on something, something that Conan couldn't perceive. He stopped, equal parts because he was terrified to move a muscle and attract any unwanted attention and also because he wanted to know what had caught their attention.

No, as he focused he realized it wasn't just those in the gymnasium with him. He could hear, even _feel_ the change in the air. Every single one of the moaning aggressors wondering idly through the deeper recesses of the building had suddenly quieted at the same time. The silence was stifling. He became acutely aware of his own raged breathing, his lungs still aching for oxygen after his run. Then, like they'd planned it, they began to move. Even some of the bodies that Conan had thought were dead began to move, crawling towards the front door on their stomachs. Then he noticed it as well. Voices. There were voices out front. They were speaking quickly and quietly, keeping their communications to a minimum, and probably thought that they couldn't be heard. There were three, maybe four of them. He couldn't make out what was being said, only that the men sounded older than your average highschool student. Early, maybe late thirties? He focused, trying to figure out what they were saying, but the voices were simply too faint, too indistinct.

It was because he was focusing so intently on the voices that his noticing another sound, a sound like a hundred angry men kicking and punching whatever was nearest to them, had been delayed by a critical moment.

Backpedaling, he realized his situation a second too late. He locked his eyes on the doorway leading to the hall.

With a feral screech several blurs exploded out of the hallway, coming from the direction of the dojo. There were five, six, maybe seven of them, but there might as well have been a hundred. Conan ran like a scared animal with a speed he didn't believe his shrunken body was capable of.

It didn't last for long. A burning hot hand curled impossibly strong fingers around his left ankle and he toppled to the ground. The blurs leaped right over him, only a hair's width away from brushing against his back as they barreled straight out the door. He looked down at whoever had grabbed him to find a boy he used to be on the soccer team with, his fingernails digging into Conan's flesh even as his jaw fruitlessly sought out his shin.

"Thanks, Nakamichi." He spoke mostly to himself, his words solemn, tinged with regret. Without a doubt, if Nakamichi hadn't pulled him down those things would've plowed right through him, maybe stopping to tear him apart limb by limb. "And sorry." That didn't change the fact that if he didn't do something quickly Nakamichi would do the job for them. Cranking up the power on his free shoe as the snapping jaws inched their way closer, Conan threw a kick into the boy's arm. With a sickening sharp crack, the hot fingers slackened and he was able to pull himself free.

Springing back up to his feet he found the entrance packed full with torsos and limbs, all of them trying to rush out at once. The traffic jam had them cramming against each other like crazed idol fans trying to get closer to the stage, and the mass continued to grow as more of them were steadily trickling in from deeper inside the building. They screeched and swatted at each other, occasionally trying to bite chunks out of each other, all the while the staccato of sporadic pistol fire could be heard along with the swearing of the men outside. Whoever they were, they were apparently armed. Now not only could he not get out the way he'd entered, he wasn't entirely sure he'd want to.

Taking a cue from the new arrivals Conan cursed under his breath. He knew that his only option was to go deeper into the building. Of course that's exactly what he'd intended to do from the beginning, but he hadn't planned on his escape route getting cut off. While he'd been lucky so far, what with most of the lunatics here acting somewhat lethargic, if he happened to run into any of the more aggressive ones like had gone after Kobayashi-sensei or the ones he'd narrowly avoided just moments before, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Well, there was no point in trying to psyche himself out. He just had to run for it and deal with whatever came his way. He rushed passed the shambling bodies that continued to make their way towards the front door, the gunfire rarely ceasing for what must have been a solid minute now. He'd hoped that he'd be able to search the dojo before the gunfire stopped since it served as a great diversion and it was entirely possible that the dojo could be packed full of the aggressive kind, but at this rate the men were going to run out of ammunition before he even got there. Were they simply untrained, firing off randomly at every target in front of them, or were they cornered and too pressured or scared to aim properly? If it was the former, that could be bad news. If they weren't trained, then they weren't affiliated with the JSDF or any other national agency. He had a hard time believing that any such person possessing a gun could be an ally. He found himself fervently hoping it was the latter, despite that being a much graver situation for those involved.

He could see the hallway dead-end just up ahead, the door to the dojo on the right-hand side. Or at least, they should have been. The door was broken, torn right off its hinges in much the same fashion as the doors to the main school building had been. His heartbeat was so loud he was afraid it was going to catch the attention of one of the passing highschool students trying to join the mosh pit in the gymnasium. He wasn't sure when it had started, but he suddenly noticed that his hands were shaking.

He was terrified. Terrified that he was going to look inside and find Ran, mutilated, roaming around with those blank eyes. He couldn't stop the images flickering through his mind and they were starting to make him feel a little nauseous. He swallowed hard, fighting a lump that'd formed in his throat.

He hadn't come this far to be hesitant now. He balled his hands into fists by his side and took careful, measured steps into the dojo. It was nearly empty, occupied only by three bodies laying on the ground. Two of them were male students, and as neither were breathing he could only assume they were dead. The third was a female teacher, still taking in feverish, shallow breaths. He'd seen her before, but he'd never been in her class and couldn't recall her name. She was missing most of her left leg, and had lost a tremendous amount of blood because of it, the few random lacerations scattered across her body made to look like minor superficial wounds in comparison.

Like the strings holding him up had been cut by a malevolent puppeteer, he found that his legs could no longer support his weight. He collapsed onto his knees, allowing himself this moment's rest. Ran wasn't here. He felt like a terrible, no, knew he was a terrible person for taking solace in this scene. The fact that this carnage could bring peace to anyone's heart was truly a frightening thing, but in that moment he didn't care. Not even a little. He felt the relief wash over him, and then, exhaustion. He closed his eyes, and instantly it felt as if the whole world had receded away. Everything was silent, save for the teacher's rough breathing that he promptly blocked out.

Now that he was sitting still he could feel the heat radiating off his skin, like he was some kind of a human space heater. Somewhere in the back of his head, some part of his mind was urging him to move on, telling him that he didn't have the luxury of being able to sit there. He had to go find Ran. The rest of his mind drowned it out in an instant with demands for rest and a cold drink. He could only satisfy half of those two demands, but one was a hell of a lot better than none.

Before he could process what was happening, his head struck the ground and pain shot through his entire skull like white hot lightning. He cried out, a wordless shout of pain that came from deep inside and echoed around the dojo like it was mocking him. His eyes shot open, but he couldn't tell what he was looking at. He felt a hot pressure on his chest, and his own cry drowned out any sound. Colors danced in front of his eyes. Was the pain making him hallucinate? Was it a concussion? Or was he just seeing stars? He had no idea, the panic was driving rational thought right out of his head.

While it felt like far longer, it probably took him all of a second to figure out what was going on. The teacher. She'd jumped him, and she was holding him down. Her hands were burning hot, and pinned him to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled, it was like having an elephant made of hot coals sitting on his chest. It was getting harder to breathe. A pounding that wasn't his heartbeat filled his ears, though he had no idea what it was.

With a shriek that sent blinding pain shooting through his head, the woman reared her head back. When Conan saw her teeth flash between her lips, he realized what was coming and he reacted on instinct. Her teeth shot towards his neck, and he shielded himself with his forearms. For an instant, he felt teeth graze skin. Then an intense pressure, like she was trying to break his bones.

Teeth pierced flesh and he yelled out involuntarily. The pain felt like lightning, scorching his nerves from his arm up through his elbow and all the way into his shoulder. His entire arm felt like it had a hot metal rod jammed through it. The bite was small and at an awkward angle so she couldn't get a good grip, but when she suddenly snapped her headed back, the pain exploded tenfold. At that moment a piece of flesh nearly the size of his pinkie disappeared down her throat.

Even before the echoes of his last scream had faded a new scream burst forth from deep inside his chest, and for a moment he wasn't even aware that it was his own. The pain permeated his entire being and consumed his every sense. He teetered on the brink of awareness as his mind battled over whether or not it'd be kinder to simply allow him to slip into unconsciousness. He was only vaguely aware of the blood gushing out of the new abscess in his forearm, forming a hot damp river as it flowed down his chest.

He could feel a series of approaching thumps growing rapidly nearer, though he no longer be bothered to care about what they could be nor how close they were. He realized that he wasn't thinking straight, that he was quickly slipping away. He had to run, he had to take his chances and make a break for it, but the weight on his chest pinned him to the ground. Even disregarding that he doubted he could stand, let alone walk. There was another noise, a loud crack or bang, and a moment later he could no longer feel the weight on his chest. The thought passed his mind that maybe he was simply imagining it, no longer able to tell reality from fantasy, but either way made little difference.

He laid there, feeling once more like the world was falling away from him, even his own limbs feeling farther and farther away. The sensation was much stronger this time, incomparable to the feelings of mere relaxation he'd experienced before. Incomparable to _anything_ he'd ever experienced before. There was a moment where he felt weightless, and he was fairly certain that someone had just picked him up. He tried to focus on what was going on, but the harder he tried to focus the farther the world would float away.

It felt like his mind was wrapped up in an impossibly soft blanket, both cool and gently warm at the same time. He realized that he should probably be struggling against whoever or whatever it was that'd taken it upon themselves to lift him into the air, but he could barely manage to move his fingers. The blanket wrapped around him a little tighter, a little colder, a little warmer. It was comforting. He felt like he could melt away into this sensation.

A sound suddenly broke through the silence. Silence? He couldn't remember the pounding or the gunshots stopping, but it seems they had at some point. It took him a moment to identify the sound as a voice, and another to figure out what the voice had said.

"Conan-kun!" The voice was high pitched, with an emotion that he couldn't easily identify and would be too much effort to try and decipher. The voice called out to him once, twice, again and again.

For some reason, hearing that voice put him at ease. But there was something else about that voice. Something at the back of his mind was nagging him. He wanted to wake up.

Again.

He wasn't sure why he would ever want to get out from under this blanket, this wonderfully comforting blanket, but he did. He wanted to shake it off and go running to that voice.

Again.

A word slipped out of his mouth, though he couldn't quite remember what it meant. Then the blanket wrapped around him tighter still, almost smothering him. It wasn't unpleasant. The cool, fiery hot blanket was pulled up to his chin, and it felt like his limbs were slowly disappearing. He realized he couldn't see. How long had he been blind? He couldn't remember when his vision had faded out. For some reason, he didn't feel particularly bothered by this, despite some part of his mind telling him that he probably should.

The sweet softness was lulling him into a content state of mind like a stomach full of warm milk. His wavering consciousness finally gave way, and he let the gentle blanket engulf him.


End file.
